The invention relates to an insertion device, e.g. a tampon applicator, formed from a paper laminate.
Tampon applicators comprising a pair of telescopically arranged tubes are long known in the art. Some applicators have the tampon exposed at the end intended for vaginal insertion (the expulsion end). Others provide a rounded expulsion end, with the tampon covered by a plurality of "petals" which open during tampon expulsion.
Properties considered when selecting a material for the applicator include slip characteristics of the outer sheet material's surface, for ease and comfort of the user during insertion of applicator, water resistance, flushability, delamination, biodegradability and aesthetic appearance.
Applicators have long been manufactured by spirally winding a number of paper layers about a mandrel, gluing each layer to the previous one to form a tubular shape. One such applicator comprises two adjacent layers of ground wood paper and an outer layer of bleached Kraft paper, coated with a wax/clay coating. Known advantages of such laminated paper applicators are their ability to delaminate when exposed to water, thus making them flushable, and their greater biodegradability.
Paper, however, is inferior to plastics in tampon applicators in several respects. Plastics have better slip characteristics and a glossier, more aesthetic appearance than conventional paper products. Additionally, it is difficult to form raised or indented areas in a paper tube without cracking, splitting or shearing, whereas plastic can easily be molded to a desired shape.